A Girl and her Fawn
by BEN-Beyond the Elusive Nomads
Summary: Based on the Grimm Fairy Tale 'The Brother and Sister'. Buffy and Dawn run away from their stepmother and into their destiny. Written for AU Bingo on LJ.


**Title:** A Girl and her Fawn  
**Prompt:**Fantasy: Fairy Tale  
**Medium:** Fic  
**Rating**: PG  
**Warnings:**Adult Language

**Summary:**Based on the Grimm Fairy Tale 'The Brother and Sister'

"Shh." Buffy whispered to her sister Dawn as they linked hands and slunk out of the old cottage, "We can't let them hear us. If they catch us then we're pretty much screwed."

Dawn nodded in understanding and held her sisters hands tighter as they entered the dark forest. "This place gives me some major wiggins, Buffy. Isn't there another way?"

Buffy shook her head and tugged her sister forward, "I wish there was, Dawnie, but Glory can't find us in here. She never goes out into the forest – she doesn't want to ruin her knock off Jimmy Choo's."

Dawn giggled at the image of their horrid stepmother traipsing through the forest in three inch stilettos and her favorite red dress. Glory was way too vain to even think of walking through the woods – which was why she often sent out her despised step children into the woods for fire wood.

The sisters were unaware, though, that Glory was a witch and was using her powers to follow them in her crystal ball. Angered that her unruly stepchildren would dare to escape from her she placed a curse on all the streams in the forest, knowing that one would drink eventually.

As the sun rose and Dawn and Buffy approached a brook, Dawn decided that she was thirsty. The only thing stopping her from approaching the babbling brook was her sisters tight grasp on her hand. Buffy tilted her head as she heard –

"Who drinks of me will become a tiger!"

"Dawnie, I don't think you should drink from this stream." Buffy said, "It'll turn you into a tiger, and you might try to eat me!"

"Then we'll wait until we find another one." Dawn agreed, ignoring her thirst in favor of her sisters ever infallible instincts.

And so the duo continued on until they came across another stream, but again Buffy stopped and held her sister back. She titled her head as she listened –

"Who drinks of me will become a lion!"

"Dawnie, lets wait until the next one." She requested, already tugging her sister off, "I don't want you to turn into a lion."

"Alright," Dawn grudgingly agreed, "but I'm drinking at the next one, no matter what you say! I'm so dehydrated I feel like I'm about to pass out!"

And so the sisters continued onward. They reached a third brook and Buffy held her sister fast as the water whispered in her ear –

"Who drinks of me will become a fawn!"

"Dawnie-," Buffy began, but it was too late – her sister had already run forward and began drinking from the stream. Buffy could only watch in horror as her sister began to morph, and soon, in its place stood a dazzling golden fawn.

But to Buffy's disbelief the fawn didn't run off. It stood and stared at her with wide eyes. Buffy quickly began to think and a planned formed in her mind. She quickly removed her thick necklace and held it out, clicking softly.

"Come here, Dawnie. I promise I'll never hurt you."

The fawn seemed to think for a moment before it quickly approached the blonde sister. Buffy quickly hooked her golden necklace around the fawns neck and made a leash by linking together some reeds that lined the beguiling brook.

And so Buffy and her sister-turned-fawn headed off into the forest. As the sun began to set they came across a cottage, and using her keen survival skills Buffy gathered up some leaves to act as bedding for her sister and quickly gathered some edible berries for her to eat. As night fell Buffy rested her head on the fawn and fell asleep.

The duo lived like this for many months together, the fawn never running away and Buffy never once forsaking her dear sister. Glory never once found them and simply assumed that they had been eaten or torn apart.

Spring approached, as spring often does, and with it came a group of huntsmen. But these were no ordinary huntsmen – these were the Kings huntsmen.

King William was a fair ruler and an avid hunter, so this spring he went with his huntsmen for a bit of sport. The sounds of their trumpets reached the small cabin and sent Dawn the Fawn into a frenzy.

"Oh, Buffy, please let me go! I'm so bored, and this sounds so exciting!"

After a few minutes of cajoling, Buffy agreed, unable to deny her sister anything. As Dawn headed for the door Buffy gave her these instructions:

"I want you back before sunset, and if you're not you're sleeping outside. When you come back I want you to say 'Sister, let me in' and that way I'll know it's you. If you don't speak I won't let you in."

And so Dawn frolicked off into the woods and gave the huntsmen a very merry chase – and despite how skilled the men were, they never could catch the fawn. King William was intrigued, for a fawn had never once escaped him, and decided that he would come back again the next day.

Dawn reached the cabin just before sun set and knocked, crooning, "Sister, let me in!". And Buffy quickly opened the door, letting her sister gallop in.

The next day the same happened, and Buffy let her sister out once more. Like last time, the huntsmen gave chase to the necklace-wearing fawn, but this time they managed to wound the deer. Dawn was quick to return, and after Buffy let her sister in laid down to rest.

"Dawn, you can't go out again! They wounded you – this time they might kill you, and I can't live out here by myself! I'll go crazy!"

But Dawn was asleep, and deaf to her sister's peas. What neither of them knew was that a huntsmen had followed the fawn back to the cabin and heard the fawn call 'Sister, let me in!' and watched the door open. He quickly returned to his kings side and told him the whole story. King William was intrigued.

"Tomorrow we'll do the same," he decreed, "An' this time I'll go check out this cabin."

And so it was. While the huntsmen began the hunt without their king, William watched as the door opened and the fawn merrily danced out, ignorant of her sisters sorrow. He waited and watched the door, but never once did the cabin open. So he stepped form his hiding place and came to the door, knocking on it and reciting.

"Sister, let me in!"

And he waited. The door opened and he was completely awestruck at the blonde beauty that stood before him. Her golden hair caressed her shoulders and her green eyes sparked in surprise. She moved to slam the door shut, but he quickly intercepted the movement and entered the cabin.

"Bloody hell! Tha' might be the first time someone's slammed a door on me." He joked weakly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Buffy stared at him and narrowed her eyes, desperately attempting to ignore the way her heart fluttered at the sight of the gorgeous man before her.

"Well this might be the first time some strange man has tried to enter my cottage." She retorted, "Who are you?"

And then she spotted the crown that sat on his head, and her eyes widened. He didn't notice and introduced himself.

"'m William, but m' friends call me Spike." He introduced, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm, "and you are?"

"Ah, Buffy Summers." She squeaked out, "You're the king, aren't you?"

He nodded, "Yeah, tha's me."

There was a stretch of awkward silence as they examined the other, and William finally spoke what was on his mind.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. Buffy blinked.

"I don't even know you, let alone love you. I think we're kinda jumping the gun a little. Aren't we supposed to go out on a date first?"

"Good point." Spike agreed, "But 'm afraid if I leave 'll never see you again. 'Sides, that's how it goes – King sees pretty girl, King marries pretty girl, King and Queen have many pretty babies." He winked and scanned her body, "'M definitely lookin' forward to that clause."

Buffy gasped and punched him in the nose. "Pig!"

"Oi! Tha' hurt!" Spike cried, clutching his nose, but he only fell for her a little bit more. He massaged his nose before dropping his hand and grasping hers, "How about you come with me back to my castle an' I'll court you nice an' proper like. If you haven't fallen for me in twelve months time then I'll let you come back an' never bother you again. Promise."

Buffy tilter her head and pondered over his offer. "I'll agree on one condition: the deer goes with me. See, my sister Dawn go turned into a deer, and I promised her I'll never hurt her."

Spike shrugged. "Sure, why not. The bit'll never want for anything."

And so Buffy accompanied him to his castle with her sister at her side, galloping away gracefully and enchanting the huntsmen. She lived with King William for six months before she found she had fallen in love with the King, and when he proposed to her – as he did at the end of every month – she agreed.

The wedding was large and ornate for appearances sake, but they held a smaller more private ceremony a week later in which only their closet friends and family attended – most of which were servants who had befriended Buffy almost instantly.

And life moved on for the happy couple, until one day the wicked Stepmother Glory found out about her stepchildren's good fortune. Her own daughter was quite horrid and had lost an eye in a horrible spelunking accident. She was enraged that Buffy had such good fortune and that her own daughter had such poor fortune.

"Mummy, I want to be a queen." Drusilla crooned with a pout.

"And a queen you shall be!" Glory decreed. They snuck into the castle just days after Buffy had given birth to her first born son, William II, and disguised themselves as chamber maids. They prepared a bath for the queen but cleverly 'forgot' to unhitch the air vents, causing a dreadful build up of steam.

"My queen, your bath is ready!" Glory called, inwardly flinching at her lowly status, "You must hurry or it will get too hot!"

And the duo quickly helped their weakened queen stand and enter the bath, locking the door and leaving her to suffocate. Glory quickly placed her daughter in the bed and charmed her too look like Buffy, but her eye could not be returned. Drusilla simply turned her head and hid her eye from sight.

Then, at midnight exactly, the nurse maid Anya watched as the true queen entered the nursery which held her dear sister and baby. She was silent as she cradled her baby close to her chest, singing softly, before returning it to it's cradle and turning to her sister, whom she petted fondly. She left without saying a word to Anya, who was mildly offended since she had been at the Queens wedding as a bridesmaid.

The next morning Anya walked out to the guards and approached her fiancé, Xander.

"Xander, did anyone enter the castle last night?" she asked curiously.

"Nope." Xander responded. Anya considered this and nodded. She was about to return and tell the king of these strange occurances before she turned back to Xander, grabbing his arm and tugging him off.

"Come on, I think I have some time for some orgasms."

She stayed silent about the strange occurrences, knowing that Spike would be back the next day. She kept her post, and at midnight her Queen entered. This time she said –

"How is my William? How is my Dawn? Twice more I will come, but then I'll be gone."

And the queen nursed her child and left. That evening Anya approached Spike just as he returned from one of his kingly duties. He had yet to see his wife, and was peeved at being intercepted so close to her bedchamber.

"Wha' the bloody hell do you want, Anya?" he asked, "I haven't seen my wife in three days!"

"That isn't your wife." Anya reported dutifully, and she quickly explained what had happened in the nursery. So Spike decided to circumvent the visit to his wife and instead took over Anya's post at the nursery, watching and waiting.

As expected, midnight struck and Buffy entered the room, completely ignorant of her husbands presence. She repeated her actions of the night previous, but this time said to her fawn –

"How is my William? How is my Dawn? Once more I will come, but then I'll be gone."

Spike watched in silent awe as Buffy nursed her son and stroked her sister, leaving as the sky lightened. Spike contemplated the strange events all day and steadily ignored the requests from his false bride to join her bedside.

That night he once again took Anya's place and watched over his son. Again Buffy entered and said –

"How is my William? How is my Dawn? Once more I have come, but never again."

Spike could keep quiet no longer and jumped up, taking his wife's ethereal form in his arms and crying out, "You're my wife, not that bleedin' imposter!"

"I am." Buffy agreed with a small smile, "I am your wife."

Spike kissed her, and in that moment the Powers that be took pity on the couple and restored the Queen her life. She quickly explained the truth behind the imposter in her bed and, enraged, Spike tried Glory and Drusilla. They were quickly hanged for their deceit and with Glory's death came the breaking of the spell, returning dawn to her human form.

And so the Sisters lived in the castle together for many years to come, both eternally happy with how their life turned out.


End file.
